Editorial
I want to keep things brief this week. Partly because with the election process kicking off on Monday, there is plenty of information at all levels of government for you to consider without the distraction my opinion, and partly because there is still work to be done on our end to prepare for the candidate Q&A set for Thursday.
It is surreal to write about something in the past tense that as you write has not yet happened, and I can only hope now that we prepared well enough to put on a quality event that was a benefit to our readers. If it ends — or should I say ended — in a disaster, then we will have a lot to consider and work to improve for the next one. Conversely, if all goes, or went, well, there will be a lot to consider and work to improve for the next one.
I want to thank the voters for sending us questions, and while we did not have time during the event to ask all your questions, we combined, reworked, and filtered through thoughts, ideas, and concerns for weeks to cover as much as possible with the questions asked.
Most importantly, I would personally like to thank each of the candidates from both Fisher and Stonewall counties. Not just for their participation in either the Q&A event or by responding to our questionnaires, but I thank you for your willingness to take on the duties of an elected official.
As an observer and documentarian of what goes on in our communities, one of the most positive reflections I see is when have contested races for local elections. Multiple candidates seeking office shows there are folks with the desire to move the community they represent forward in the best possible way, to improve the efficacy of our local governments, and work through issues for an outcome that serves the needs and improves the lives of as many as possible.
I wish each of the 11 candidates in the two counties the best of luck in the upcoming election, and for those who win, let me apologize in advance for any difficult or challenging questions I raise over the next four years. Early voting starts on Monday, so I ask everyone to get out there and exercise some constitutional rights.